National Cattlemen`s Beef Association

N A T I O N A L
CATTLEMEN
The trusted leader and definitive voice of the beef industry
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA
March 2015 • Vol. 31, No. 6 • BeefUSA.org
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11/12/2014 1:25:32 PM
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Nearly 8,300 cattlemen and women
were on hand in Texas for the 2015 Cattle
Industry Convention and NCBA Trade
Show in February, breaking the all-time
attendance record set in Nashville, Tenn.,
two years earlier. This year’s event featured a
full slate of committee meetings, outstanding
educational opportunities and world-class
entertainment. The week culminated with the
NCBA Board of Directors voting in favor of
the Memorandum of Understanding, which
endorses the work of the Beef Checkoff
Enhancement Working Group, and electing a
new slate of officers for the organization.
“I’m very proud of the work we’ve done
this week and I look forward to the progress
we’ll make during the year ahead,” said NCBA
president Philip Ellis, a fifth-generation
Wyoming cattleman. “We had a number of
discussions during the week that will have a
direct impact on the future of our business
and lay the groundwork to keep our industry
moving forward.”
This year’s committee meetings featured
a number of important program and policy
topics aimed at continuing the momentum
of the beef industry in the United States
and overseas. On the consumer front, the
2015 Dietary Guidelines (see story below)
were a major topic of discussion in several
committee meetings as cattlemen and
women discussed how they might affect beef
consumption among domestic consumers.
Similarly, trade and market access discussions
were near the top of the minds of participants
in several meetings.
“We’re deeply involved in the trade issue
and have been for a number of years. We have
some opportunities on the table right now
to expand market access overseas in a way
that will continue to grow the value of our
domestic production,” said Ellis. “We now
that 96 percent of the world’s population lives
outside the U.S. and their incomes are rising
at the same time. We have to be sure we’re
positioned to supply that growing appetite for
beef and that’s what several of our committee
meetings were designed to address here in
San Antonio.”
Ellis succeeds Bob McCan in the role
of NCBA President. Serving with him are
president-elect Tracy Brunner, a Kansas
cattleman; and vice president Craig Uden,
a Nebraska cattleman. Jennifer Houston, a
cattlewoman from Tennessee, was selected
as chair of the Federation division as chair,
while California cattleman Kevin Kester will
serve as the chairman of the Policy division.
New to the 2015 officer team are Nebraska
cattleman Steve Hanson, who was selected as
vice chairman of the Federation division
Continued on page 25
Dietary Guidelines Recommendations are Misleading
The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture have released the 2015
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s
report. This report is a recommendation
to the Secretaries as they develop the 2015
Dietary Guidelines for Americans that will
be released later this year. Unfortunately,
the report is inconsistent, and if adopted
will lead to conflicting dietary advice. On
one hand, the Committee has endorsed the
Mediterranean style diet, which has higher
red meat levels than currently consumed in
the U.S.; and on the other hand, they have left
lean meat out of what they consider to be a
healthy dietary pattern
Dr. Shalene McNeil, PhD, Registered
Dietitian and Human Nutrition Scientist
with NCBA said the recommendation that a
healthy dietary pattern should be lower in red
meat is not consistent with scientific evidence
and would be unsound dietary advice.
“Lean meat is red meat. Today’s beef
supply is leaner than ever before with more
than 30 cuts of beef recognized as lean by
government standards,” said McNeill. “The
protein foods category, which includes meat, is
the only category currently consumed within
the current guidelines, and it is misleading to
conclude that a healthy dietary pattern should
be lower in red meat.”
According to the report, “dietary patterns
with positive health benefits are described as
high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood,
legumes, and nuts; moderate
Continued on page 18
MARKET SNAPSHOT WEEK ENDING 2/14/2015 (prices vs. year ago)
IN THIS ISSUE
LIVE FED STEERS
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Federation News
20
Market Matters 24
Leadership Comments 2
Management $160.54
CHOICE
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OMAHA CASH
CORN
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23%
13%
14%
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2 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
One for the Record Books
By Forrest Roberts, NCBA CEO
If you missed this
year’s Cattle Industry
Convention and NCBA
Trade Show in San
Antonio, you missed
what was, by nearly any
measure, our biggest
and best convention in
history. A new record was
set as we were joined by
8,277 attendees, a new
record for the event.
The NCBA Trade Show
included more than 360
exhibitors on nearly
seven acres of floor space, which was
also a new record. And, I would argue
the engagement level of participants
was also at an all-time high. It was truly
an outstanding week for NCBA and the
entire beef industry.
The annual meeting is one of
the best opportunities we have as an
industry to sit together and discuss the
lessons of the prior year and determine
how we can best apply those learnings
to the year ahead. Volatility in our
industry was certainly an issue during
2014 and that’s not a topic that will
fade anytime soon. During our time
in Texas, some of the brightest minds
in our industry had the opportunity
to discuss how that volatility impacted
their business last year and strategize
N A T I O N A L
CATTLEMEN
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF NCBA
President
Philip Ellis
President-elect
Tracy Brunner
Vice President
Craig Uden
Federation Division Chair Jennifer Houston
Federation Division
Vice-Chair
Steve Hanson
Policy Division Chair
Kevin Kester
Policy Division Vice-Chair
Steve Scott
Immediate Past President
Bob McCan
Chief Executive Officer
Forrest Roberts
Senior Editor
Associate Editor
Contributing Writers
about how we might
better cope with the
“new normal” in 2015
and beyond.
We also had the
opportunity to discuss
other important topics
and examine how we
will meet the challenges
presented by industry
expansion and growth
while also meeting
the growing global
demand for beef. We
focused on all of our
2015 policy priority areas, including
strategy development to address the
2015 Dietary Guidelines, foreign
animal disease, regulatory expansion
of “Waters of the United States,” trade
and reform of the Endangered Species
Act. These topics have an impact on
every corner of our industry and it’s
important for us to gather input and
reach a consensus about how we can
tackle them together.
When we gather each winter, it
always presents an opportunity to do
business and engage on important
issues, but it’s critical because our
volunteer leaders and staff rely on
the input and discussion to shape
direction for the year ahead. NCBA is
a grassroots-driven organization and
our priorities and our strategies depend
heavily on the input of our members.
Similarly, our success in Washington,
D.C. and elsewhere is contingent on the
support of our members. That’s why
record attendance and engagement are
so important for our industry. We need
each and every member of our industry
to stand with us and lend their voice to
the effort
So, for all of you that took time
out of your busy schedules at home to
join us for the 2014 Cattle Industry
Convention and NCBA Trade Show,
I’d like to extend a sincere thank you.
We couldn’t be successful without you.
For those of you who couldn’t make it
or who haven’t been to convention yet,
consider this a personal invitation to
join us in 2016 as we convene in San
Diego, Calif., for what will undoubtedly
be another memorable event.
John Robinson
Brittany Schaneman
Contact NCBA: 9110 E. Nichols Ave., Suite 300, Centennial, CO
80112 (303-694-0305); Washington D.C.: 1301 Pennsylvania
Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20004 (202-347-0228).
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association reserves the right to refuse
advertising in any of its publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association does not accept political advertising in any of its
publications. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association does not
accept any advertising promoting third-party lawsuits that have
not been endorsed by the board of directors.
© 2014 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. All rights
reserved. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced
by any means, in whole or part, without the prior written consent
of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
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Beltway Beef
Audio
By Philip Ellis, NCBA President
It was a great honor
for me to take the gavel and
begin my term as president
of the National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association in San
Antonio, Texas. The fact
that our organization and
our industry are riding a
wave of optimism right now
made the occasion even
more enjoyable for all of us
who gathered to participate
in the 2015 Cattle Industry
Convention and NCBA
Trade Show. We set a record
for attendance at the meeting and the level of
participation was very encouraging; it shows
that we are on the right path and I believe we
have a great deal to look forward to in the
year ahead.
No matter what sector you’re involved
with, last year was one for the record books
and I think most of us are anticipating
another good year on our operations at
home. What is less certain is the landscape
we face together as an industry. There is
much to be thankful for, but there is also
much to be done if we are going to continue
our wave of success. We took the first steps
forward with the 2014 elections where we
saw a change in Congressional leadership.
However, the regulatory landscape is still one
which is generating burdensome restrictions
for American agriculture as a whole.
In the year ahead, it’s a near certainty
that we will see the continued pressure of
a tax system in desperate need of reform.
Cattlemen and women need stability so
they can better plan for the future, whether
that includes expanding their herds or
transitioning their operation to the next
generation. I am committed to continuing
the ongoing work on tax issues to deliver the
stability we all deserve.
Similarly, beef trade will be an area
of focus in the year ahead for NCBA and
one where we have achieved a number
of important milestones. However, we
must continue our work to ensure we’re
opening new markets for our products
and expanding demand in markets where
we already have a presence. We know that
96 percent of the world’s population lives
outside our borders and we know there is
strong global demand for our high-quality
beef. At NCBA, our team knows the value of
these markets and they have
been working diligently
to support the completion
of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, which will add
to further our product’s
international success.
As a contractor to the
Beef Checkoff Program,
NCBA has also been
focused on growing
demand at home with a
specific focus on answering
the important questions of
the millennial generation.
Through a renewed focus on digital media
and messaging, beef is well positioned to
continue as the protein of choice for the
consumers of tomorrow. This effort is crucial
to our success in future generations, and by
engaging in a dialogue with Millennials we
are better able to understand their needs and
better positioned to provide the products
they desire most.
We are also working in a number of
other areas, including beef safety research,
product quality, sustainability, innovation
and more to be certain that we are meeting
the needs and demands of a changing
consumer. As a contractor to the checkoff,
we take our work and our commitment to
the beef industry seriously. Our industry has
benefitted greatly because of the investment
beef producers make in the areas of research,
marketing and promotion. The Flatiron
steak, improvements in beef safety and solid
domestic consumer demand in the face of
record-high beef prices can all be traced
directly to checkoff-funded work and there
is no doubt that our future will be better
because of the investment each of you is
making into the Beef Checkoff Program.
Regardless of the area of focus, there
is only one national organization that
works on all of the issues we face as beef
producers. The volunteer leaders, our
staff and our state partners have a strong
commitment to working together and
delivering results for our industry, but we
can’t do it alone. We must have a strong
membership base at the state and national
level and participation from each of you to
ensure we continue our success long into
the future. I hope you’ll join us in this effort
and I look forward to the opportunity to
serve this great industry.
It’s time to get your boots
on Capitol Hill!
Bob McCan
Walt Barnhart
Todd Johnson
Forrest Roberts
Chase Adams
Shawna Newsome
Candace Weeda
Creative Director
Don Waite
Graphic Designer
Sharon Murano
For ad sales, contact Jill DeLucero or
Samantha Murnin at 303-694-0305.
A Bright Future Requires Effort
Have your voice heard in Washington at the
NCBA Legislative Conference.
NCBA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
MARCH 24-26, 2015 WASHINGTON,DC
March 24-26, 2015
Washington Court Hotel
Make YOUR business
THEIR business!
To register and
view the agenda,
visit www.BeefUSA.org
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I13164
4 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
NCBA’s Kristina Butts Recognized by Drovers Drive for DC RAM
Truck Auction Kicks
40 Under 40 at Cattle Industry Convention
off in San Antonio
Pictured from left to right (front row): Kristina Butts, Christy Bratcher, Jason Ellis (back row): Trevor Hall, Sarah
Aubrey, Keith Underwood.
The cattle industry is unique among
not only agriculture, but American
small businesses. A visit to NCBA’s
Washington, D.C. office makes that clear
very quickly. The producer members are
dynamic, strong-willed and independent
and the people that have the privilege
to work on their behalf in one of the
most metropolitan cities in the world
come from the same roots, sharing their
dedication to family and country. This
is certainly true for NCBA’s Executive
Director of Legislative Affairs, Kristina
Butts and we are honored that her skills
and dedication have been recognized
by the industry through the Drovers 40
Under 40.
Since graduating from Texas Tech
University, Kristina has dedicated her
time to serving the agriculture industry
on Capitol Hill and with NCBA. As the
head lobbyist in the D.C. office, Kristina
leads the lobbying efforts on nutrition,
food safety, immigration and border
security along with many other policy
issues and leads a staff of lobbyists
who represent America’s cattlemen and
women on Capitol Hill. Colin Woodall,
vice president of government affairs,
said Kristina is a passionate advocate
for the cattle industry, and having grown
up in the cattle business understands
and is able to communicate about the
unique challenges cattle producers face
Top Hand Club
March
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Great Eight ........ $100 Cabela’s Gift Card
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The shot clock is ticking! Get off the bench and recruit new members
before the buzzer goes off on March 31.
Top Hand Club
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Common Sense
in Species
Protection Act
(S. 112)
A bill to amend
the Endangered
Species Act of
B
F
EL
T WAY B E E
1973 to require
the Secretary of the
Interior to publish and
make available for public comment a draft
economic analysis at the time a proposed
rule to designate critical habitat is published.
NCBA urges a YES vote. Key Sponsor:
Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)
Contact NCBA Membership for a
recruitment kit today!
866-233-3872
membership@beef.org
ATIVE WA
SL
T
GI
CH
Take a shot and ask a fellow cattle producer
to join our NCBA team this month!
When you recruit new members, you score
prizes from NCBA!
with policy influencers in D.C.
“She understands that, much like
with our general population, there is a
lack of understanding among Members
of Congress and Federal regulators about
what it really takes to produce food,” said
Woodall. “Kristina spends each and every
day working with these decision makers
and their staffs to educate them and
ensure that they have the knowledge they
need to pass laws that help producers
rather than hurt them.”
One of Kristina’s biggest strengths are
in her innovative approaches to making
that happen. Kristina has been able to
effectively bridge the gap with innovative
programs like her “Beef 101” seminars
and staff colleges that bring cow/calf
producers, feeders, veterinarians, animal
scientists, and other beef industry
professionals to Washington to talk
about complex issues like antibiotics,
drought, animal welfare and handling,
and stewardship.
“The success of these seminars has
been seen in our ability to fight off
restrictions on our use of veterinary
antibiotics during reauthorization of
the Animal Drug User Fee Act, and in
defeating efforts by the Humane Society
of the United States (HSUS) to pass
an amendment to the Farm Bill which
would have dictated production practices
on livestock and poultry operations,”
said Woodall. “She has a litany of policy
victories to her name, and is a much
sought-after speaker for field days,
conventions, and meetings.”
Kristina does all this while staying
involved and actively engaged with not
only NCBA’s committees and members,
but with the American National
Cattlewomen, chairing their legislative
committee; serving on the Board of
Directors for the Texas Tech Alumni
Association; and volunteering for several
charity groups in Washington, D.C.
Those accomplishments alone would
more than qualify Kristina for any
honor, but she is also fiercely devoted to
her family and, along with her husband
Randy, are raising two smart and
respectful daughters. Kristina is a true
leader and a standout in a city full of
personalities.
NCBA kicked
off its latest Drive
for D.C. RAM
Truck Auction,
sponsored by RAM.
All of the proceeds
from the auction,
which is now
open, directly benefit NCBA’s policy
efforts on Capitol Hill. The winning
bidder receives a new RAM truck, the
specifications of which can be found
online at www.ramtrucks.com or at a
local dealership.
“Cattlemen and women face a
challenging landscape in Washington,
D.C. As an organization, NCBA
dedicates significant resources in the
fight to make certain our members
have the freedom they need to operate
in a responsible and sustainable
manner,” said Victoria, Texas, cattle
producer Bob McCan. “We are very
fortunate to have incredible sponsors
like RAM Trucks to support the work
we do in our nation’s capital on behalf
of our members.”
McCan pointed out that NCBA
has helped deliver several significant
policy wins over the past year,
including passage of the omnibus
appropriations bill that included
several key tax extenders such as
Section 179 expensing. Those wins
have a direct impact on the bottom line
for farmers and ranchers.
“We’ve had some major wins in the
past year, but we have a lot more work
to do in 2015, including delivering
much-needed tax stability for the
cattle industry,” said McCan. “Thanks
to the generous support of RAM
Trucks, we will be one step closer to
accomplishing the work that benefits
our members and the entire beef
industry.”
To place your bid or learn more
about the Drive for D.C. RAM Truck
Auction, visit the website: www.bidr.
co/events/ramtruckauction. Bidding
is open now and the auction runs
through the close of the NCBA Spring
Legislative Conference at noon on
.
March 26, 2015
Open Book on Equal Access to
Justice Act (H.R. 384)
Reinstates tracking and reporting
requirements of payments made by the Federal Government under the Equal Access to
Justice Act. NCBA urges a YES vote. Key
sponsor: Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
Death Tax Repeal Act (H.R. 173)
Repeals federal taxes imposed on estates
when passed to heirs. NCBA urges a YES
vote. Key Sponsor: Rep. Mac Thornberry
(R-Texas)
National Monument Designation
Transparency and Accountability
Act of 2015 (S. 228)
Requires congressional and State
approval of national monument designations and restrictions on the use of
national monuments, limiting Presidential
power and curbing further Antiquities Act
abuse. NCBA urges a YES vote. Key
sponsor: Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho),
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Sen. Dave
Vitter (R-Louisiana) and Rep. Raul
Labrador (R-Idaho)
Regulatory Responsibility Act for
our Economy of 2015 (S.B. 168)
Gives Congress the needed authority for
oversight on major regulations, while also
requiring regulation be narrowly tailored to
meet the intended goals without hindering
the economy. NCBA urges a YES vote.
Key Sponsor: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
The Judgement Fund Transparency
Act of 2015 (S. 350)
Requires a public accounting of the
taxpayer funds distributed to litigants who
bring successful claims against the federal
government. NCBA urges a YES vote.
Key sponsor: Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.),
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.
March National Cattlemen
6 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
South Dakota Ranch Honored for
Commitment to Environmental Stewardship
Rock Hills
Ranch and the
Perman Family of
Lowry, S.D., were
named national
winners of the
Environmental
Stewardship Award for 2014. The award
recognizes ranchers for their dedication
to exceptional land management practices
which serve to improve soil, air and water
quality for all.
“The Perman family serves as a shining
example to farmers and ranchers across the
country, illustrating what is possible when
we aspire to improve the land for future
generations,” said Forrest Roberts, CEO of
the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
“Their efforts to improve their pastures have
created wide-reaching benefits that extend far
beyond the boundaries of their ranch. When
cattlemen and women dedicate themselves to
conservation efforts, such as those found on
Rock Hills Ranch, we all benefit.”
The Perman family’s stated goal is not to
simply sustain what they have, but regenerate
what was once there. To accomplish the goal
of regenerating the natural state of the land in
their care, Luke and Lyle Perman have spent
years studying the ranch and working to
improve pastures, reduce rainwater runoff and
create wildlife habitat, all of which contribute a
positive benefit to the ranch’s profitability. The
family has also shifted to rotational grazing,
no-till farming techniques and planting cover
crops to increase the amount of water soaking
into the soil after precipitation.
During the growing season on Rock
Hills Ranch, the use of a rotational grazing
system means cattle move to fresh pastures
frequently and a pasture may only be grazed
once or twice per year. To accomplish this, the
Permans have installed an extensive crossfencing system, which includes about 60 miles
of permanent fence. Temporary fence is used
to split many of the 40 permanent paddocks
into smaller paddocks for grazing depending
on conditions.
The Perman family’s responsible
management practices extend to their ranch
succession plan. Three years ago Lyle and
Garnet leased the ranch, equipment, and
cows to their son, Luke, and his wife, Naomi.
This arrangement allows Luke to make most
of the decisions about the ranch. Lyle, who
also operates an insurance business on the
ranch, works for Luke and they confer on
managing and marketing. Giving Luke and
Naomi the responsibility of ranch operations
helps ensure continuity of ownership from
one generation to the next.
The Environmental Stewardship Award
Program, now in its 24th year, was created
to recognize beef producers who make
environmental stewardship a priority on
their farms and ranches while improving
production and profitability. The ESAP award
is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, USDANRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tyson
Foods, NCBA, and the National Cattlemen’s
Foundation.
“The Perman family and each of our
2014 regional winners represent the best
of American agriculture. They’re making
a living from the land and leaving it in
better shape than they found it,” said Dave
Owens, U.S. Range & Pasture Marketing
manager for Dow AgroSciences. “That’s true
environmental and economic sustainability,
and their efforts should be showcased for the
world. Dow AgroSciences is proud to support
this program to do just that.”
ALLIED INDUSTRY DIRECTORY
These are companies that have teamed with NCBA as allied industry members, demonstrating their commitment to the beef industry. Their involvement strengthens
our future. NCBA members are urged to support these partners in turn by purchasing their products and services. Those who would like to become allied industry
partners with NCBA (securing a premium booth placement at the next annual convention and trade show), please call the Association Marketing team at 303-694-0305.
GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS
(Minimum $100,000 Investment)
Bayer
www.bayer-ah.com
Dow AgroSciences, LLC
www.dowagro.com
Boehringer Ingelheim
Vetmedica, Inc.
www.bi-vetmedica.com
John Deere
www.deere.com
Caterpillar
www.cat.com
Central Life Sciences
www.centrallifesciences.com
Merck Animal Health
www.merck-animal-health.com
Merial
www.merial.com
Micro Technologies
www.microbeef.com
New Holland
www.newholland.com
Purina Animal Nutrition LLC
www.cattlenutrition.com
RAM
www.ramtrucks.com
Zoetis Animal Health
www.zoetis.com
ALLIED INDUSTRY COUNCIL
AgriLabs
Allflex USA, Inc.
Animal Health International
BASF Corporation
Elanco Animal Health
Ritchie Industries Inc.
Y-Tex
ALLIED INDUSTRY PARTNERS
ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc.
AgriClear Inc.
Agricultural Engineering Associates
Agri-Pro Enterprises of Iowa, Inc.
Alltech, Inc.
American Hereford Association
AniTrace
Arm and Hammer Animal Nutrition
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Barenbrug
Beef Magazine
Bimeda
Case IH
Certified Angus Beef
Certified Hereford Beef
C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc.
CME Group
Covidien
Diamond V
DuPont
Farm Credit
Greeley Hat Works
Grow Safe Systems, Ltd
Hartford Livestock Insurance
Huvepharma, Inc.
IMI Global, Inc.
IMMVAC
Kent Nutrition Group, Inc.
Kunafin “The Insectary”
Laird Manufacturing
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
LIFELINE, APC , Inc.
Meat & Livestock Australia, Ltd.
Midwest PMS, Inc.
Miraco/Gallagher
Moly Manufacturing
Monsanto
Neogen Corporation
Noble Foundation
Norbrook
Nova Microbial Technologies
Novus International
Nutrition Physiology Co., LLC
Parnell
PBS Animal Health
Phibro Animal Health
Pioneer, A DuPont Business
Priefert Manufacturing Company
Prima Tech
Quali Tech, Inc.
Quality Liquid Feeds
R&R Machine Works
Rabo AgriFinance
Ridley Block Operations
Roper/Stetson
Roto-Mix
SmartLic Supplement — Feed In A Drum
Stone Manufacturing
Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment
Temple Tag, Inc.
The Vit-E-Men Co. Inc./Life Products
Tru-Test
U.S. Premium Beef
Verdesian Life Sciences
Vigortone Ag Products
Wilson Trailer Company
Yara North America
Z Tags North America
Zinpro Corporation
PRODUCT COUNCIL MEMBERS
American Foods Group
Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc./ARCOP, Inc.
Beef Products Inc.
Cargill Meat Solutions
Darden Restaurants
Fareway Stores, Inc.
H-E-B
JBS
Lobel’s of New York
McDonald’s Corporation
Meyer Natural Foods
National Beef Packing
Nebraska Beef Packing
Performance Food Group
Preferred Beef Group
Safeway
Sam Kane Beef Processors
SuKarne
Tyson Fresh Meats
Wendy’s International
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It combines effective treatment with the flexibility your operation needs. So for cattle at
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Right from the start.
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8 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
Management
Evaluating Skeletal Structure When Purchasing Your Next Replacement Bull
John Paterson, Executive
Director of Education
Even high-performance
bulls, those with the best
expected progeny difference (EPD),
numbers, are only as good as their
structural soundness. Bulls represent a
significant investment in the future of your
herd, both in monetary terms and in the
future performance of retained genetics.
That makes a sound skeletal structure
critically important. Cattlemen and women
need to pay close attention to a bull’s
conformation when selecting replacements.
There are numerous causes of
lameness in bulls and certain elements
of conformation are heritable. If a bull
shows straight legs and badly grown dew
claws, any sons or daughters kept in the
herd may also be susceptible to these
problems. Structural faults such as sicklehock and post-legs are heritable and can
A feeder steer that is structurally correct. Note how the feet and legs are square
under each corner of the animal’s body.
cause lameness, even with light use.
Common foot and leg problems that have
a hereditary basis include corkscrew claw
defect, interdigital fibromas (corns), weak
pasterns, post-leggedness, and sickle hocks.
When evaluating structural soundness
in a bull, many producers think in terms
of leg and shoulder structure and the wear
and tear on feet and joints. So, beginning
with those visual evaluations, check to
be certain all four legs and all joints are
A feeder steer that is post-legged. Notice that the leg has very little curvature at
the hock. (From Barnham et al. University of AR)
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moving cleanly and free from any swelling
or evidence of old injuries. A bull traveling
on rough, hard ground will have relatively
even levels of wear on each hoof and
seldom will have foot problems if he is
structurally correct. During the mating
act, the full weight of the bull is borne
on the hind legs and feet. Clearly, any
unsoundness in this region will drastically
interfere with breeding ability. Many
producers fail to realize that although a bull
with a conformation defect of the feet or
legs may get by for two or three years, the
more serious danger is that the defect will
be passed on to offspring. Replacement
heifers carrying conformational defects
will propagate these problems in the cow
herd, reducing longevity, increasing labor
in herd management, and increasing
veterinary expense.
An excellent paper describing factors
to be considered in evaluating structural
soundness is entitled “Bull SoundnessStructural” written by Brian Cumming
from NSW Agriculture. (http://www.dpi.
nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/beef/
breeding/bulls/structural-soundness).
Cumming suggests a very methodical
approach for evaluation and should include
the following evaluations be conducted in
routine order:
• Start with head, neck, brisket,
shoulders and front legs and feet.
• Next view along the underside to the
sheath, then testicles and the back legs
and feet.
• Follow your way up to the pin bones
and hips, then the topline and back to
the shoulders and neck.
• The bull should be viewed from the
side, from the front, and from behind.
• He should be allowed to walk out, and
again be viewed from the side, from
the front and from behind to confirm
any suspicions of poor leg structure.
• Look for a free-moving gait, with the
hind feet stepping into the footprints of
the front feet.
• Over-stepping or under-stepping are
indications of structural problems, as
are uneven footprints from the claws.
Uneven wearing of the two dew claws,
where one grows longer than the other, is
often due to a problem in the leg structure.
It can be caused by an uneven distribution
of weight through the foot. If the claws curl
across each other without growing long,
a serious genetic fault (‘scissorclaw’) may
be apparent. These cattle wear the back of
the hoof, causing lameness and reducing
mobility. Where excessive claw growth is
caused by things other than structure (soft
soil, heavy grain feeding, lack of exercise),
extra pressure is placed on the leg joints,
eventually causing lameness.
If a bull is too straight in the shoulder
and pasterns, and too straight in the
hind legs (post-legged) he will also have
problems. This type of bull often has a
short, choppy stride, carries his weight
on his toes, and may have small feet. This
type of conformation may make his front
legs buckle at the knee. The post-legged
bull also frequently suffers stifle injury or
hock problems.
Many cattlemen and women are
well-versed in the examination of
pedigrees or performance data and
many are outstanding at performing a
visual evaluation to determine structural
soundness. However, it is increasingly
critical that bull buyers be good at
evaluating both criteria when selecting
herd sires. The cost in both financial and
genetic terms, has become too great to
ignore and mistakes can take a long time
to overcome in today’s cattle business.
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owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.
10 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
NCBA Affiliates Awarded New Holland
Leases for Recruitment Efforts
The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association
and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association
each earned use of a piece of equipment
from New Holland for their outstanding
efforts to recruit new members to NCBA.
Each of these NCBA affiliates will get its
choice of a one-year lease on a New Holland
Roll-Belt™ 560 Specialty Crop round baler
or a one-year lease on a New Holland T6
175 tractor. The organizations received their
awards during the Best of Beef Breakfast at
the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention and
NCBA Trade Show, Feb. 6.
Recruiting 243 new members, the
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association automatically
earned one of these leases for the most
recruits for the contest period, which lasted
from Oct. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2014.
“New Holland is proud to support
state and national membership efforts in
cattle industry organizations,” said Michael
Cornman, Dairy & Livestock Marketing
Segment Manager for New Holland North
America. “We know that it takes all of us
working together to keep the cattle industry
strong and viable for future generations of
farmers and ranchers, and are honored to
work with NCBA and its state partners on
this important campaign to build a strong
voice for beef producers in the United States.”
Also in the top five state affiliates
for NCBA membership recruitment
were: Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association,
Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, Texas and
Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and
the Kansas Livestock Association.
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association was
the winner of the drawing of the nineteen
qualifying affiliates, which included:
Alabama Cattlemen’s, Arizona Cattle Feeders,
California Cattlemen’s, Colorado Livestock,
Hawaii Cattlemen’s, Kansas Livestock,
Kentucky Cattlemen’s, Michigan Cattlemen’s,
Minnesota State Cattlemen’s, Mississippi
Cattlemen’s, Missouri Cattlemen’s, Nebraska
Cattlemen, New York Beef Producers, Ohio
Cattlemen’s, Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s, South
Dakota Cattlemen’s, Texas Cattle Feeders,
Utah Cattlemen’s, and Wisconsin Cattlemen’s.
“Since 2003 New Holland has been
proud to partner with NCBA to recognize
grassroots membership achievement,” said
Cornman. “Like New Holland, these state
affiliates recognize that organizational
growth is a smart solution to promote beef
and protect a way of life.”
Cattlemen Urge Renewal of
Trade Promotion Authority
As trade negotiators met again late
January, NCBA urges the renewal of Trade
Promotion Authority (TPA), legislation
that gives the President authority to
negotiate trade agreements with an
assurance that Congress will give the final
agreement only an up or down vote.
Over 12 million American jobs
depend on exports, and with the renewal
of TPA, valuable free trade agreements
such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership can
move forward. NCBA Past President and
Texas cattle producer, Bob McCan said
under TPP, the U.S. beef industry could
see the elimination of tariff and non-tariff
trade barriers that hinder the industry’s
ability to meet free market demand for
beef in the Pacific Rim.
“The governments of many of
our competitors are actively engaged
in negotiating trade agreements with
growing consumer markets around the
world,” said McCan. “Unless the United
States takes a similar aggressive approach
to secure free trade agreements, we
will lose market share; not due to the
quality of our products, but because our
products will be more expensive due to
import tariffs. While the final terms of the
agreement are still far from conclusion,
TPP could give the United States a
stronger foothold in the growing Asian
and Pacific Rim markets.”
The multi-lateral TPP agreement is
currently being negotiated by the United
States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam,
Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Canada and
Mexico. NCBA encourages the United
States to push for full and free market
access to all TPP member countries,
eliminating high tariff rates and quotas
that currently limit the United States’
ability to compete for consumers.
McCan warned, however, that just
as important as trade agreements are to
the domestic economy, on-going west
coast port labor negotiations between the
International Longshore and Warehouse
Union and the Pacific Maritime
Association have caused a significant
disruption to the transport of goods and
are threatening the success and continuity
of trade with international markets.
“In the face of free trade agreements
that provide jobs and foster economic
growth, we cannot have our products
sitting on ships at dock or in trucks
waiting to be loaded,” said McCan.
“Supply chains across several industries
have been adversely impacted due
to events far beyond our control and
with perishable items like beef, this
is especially concerning. These labor
disputes must be settled as soon
as possible to resolve the current
congestion issues interrupting the flow
of commerce.”
Planning Underway for 2016
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association was the winner of the drawing for one of the New Holland leases.
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association earned one of the New Holland leases for the most recruits in 2014.
PROFITABULL
Continued from page 1
and Steve Scott of Tennessee who will serve as
vice chair of the Policy division during the year
ahead.
“I’m excited about our officer team. The
men and women who volunteer their time and
energy to lead this organization, both at the
committee and officer levels, are among the
best in our industry and I’m very fortunate to
have the opportunity to serve with them,” said
Ellis. “Our NCBA officers are fully committed
to improving the beef industry and I’m
confident we will be successful in moving the
industry forward this year.”
Also, Ellis pointed out that this year’s event
featured a record-setting NCBA Trade Show
which showcased the products and services
of more than 360 vendors across nearly seven
acres of floor space. The annual trade show
event has grown rapidly over the past several
years, making it one of the fastest growing
trade show events, of any industry, in the
United States.
“San Antonio was truly one of our best
conventions in terms of attendance and the
opportunity to return value to attendees’
operations back home. For example,
Cattlemen’s College is one of the premier
educational events in our industry,” said
Marvin Kokes, Senior Vice President of
Industry and Member Services. “This year,
our speaker line-up represented a full-slate of
classes to help cattlemen and women tackle
the important business decisions they face on
a regular basis. Likewise, many of the products
and services featured in the trade show also
help attendees grow their bottom line. We
plan our events each year to make sure that
participants are getting a good value for the
investment of time and money that cattlemen
and women make to attend convention.”
Kokes pointed out that although this
year’s convention is in the books, his team
is already hard at work planning for the
upcoming Cattle Industry Convention and
NCBA Trade Show in San Diego, Calif., set for
Jan. 27-29, 2016.
“It’s never too early to start planning to
attend,” said Kokes. “There is no doubt that it
will be worth the trip and we’ll make certain
there is education and entertainment for every
member of the family.”
Enough said.
There’s no doubt about it, a registered Hereford bull pays in so many ways — a user-friendly package of docility,
stronger fertility and calving ease that sires calves with hybrid vigor and feed efficiency that demand a premium.
To learn more about the Hereford-sired advantage or to find a Hereford breeder near you, visit Hereford.org/profitabull.
P.O. Box 014059 n Kansas City, MO 64101 n 816.842.3757 n Hereford.org
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2/17/15 4:31 PM
12 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
Genetic Selection Indexes and Their Use in Bull Selection
The selection of superior genetics has
been part of the cattle business for years
and genetic selection can be credited for
much of the beef industry’s production
improvements. Today, many technologies
and tools are available to help commercial
and seedstock cattlemen select profitable
genetics. In an effort to help cattlemen
understand how to utilize these selection
tools to move their breeding programs
in the right direction, NCBA’s producer
education team brought three industry
experts together for some insight.
“We are all bombarded with a lot of
information when it comes to genetic
selection,” said Dr. Dan Moser, director of
performance programs at the American
Angus Association. “The genetic selection
indexes combine genetic information with
economic factors, like revenue and cost
associated with beef cattle production, to
really make sire selection pretty simple.
This genetic selection tool takes a lot of
sources of information, weights them
appropriately, and gives us the economic
merit of an animal.”
Since the needs of every cattle
operation are different, genetic selection
indexes are customizable to meet a
specific producer’s or operation’s goals.
Different factors are taken into account
such as whether the offspring will go into
terminal or maternal production. Rather
than hone in on one desirable trait, the
indexes consider the entire economic
potential of the animal.
“As we chase one genetic trait, we
need to think about what the antagonists
are,” said Jack Ward, chief operating
officer and director of breed improvement
at the American Hereford Association. “If
we continue to chase growth and weaning
and yearling weights, what are we doing
in terms of our cow size? What about the
additional feed cost that comes with that
cow size? These genetic selection indexes
take those trade-offs into account to give
us a balanced and profitable approach to
genetic selection.”
“Selecting traits for profit makes much
more sense that selecting for output,” said
Dr. Wade Shafer, chief executive officer
of the American Simmental Association.
“If you are in the cattle business to make
money, you should select for profit. Genetic
selection indexes will help you do that.”
NCBA is committed to providing
producer education to our grassroots
membership. More than 400 cattlemen
and women signed up to take part in this
free educational webinar on Thursday,
Feb. 19. There are a lot of things to think
about when choosing a bull and genetic
selection indexes can help make this
process easier and more successful. If
you missed the webinar and would like to
view it now, visit http://www.beefusa.org/
cattlemenswebinarseries.aspx.
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business continues to deliver a growing profit margin.
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Begin your path to profit today. Visit purinamills.com/cattle for more information and
contact your local Purina Animal Nutrition dealer to get started.
©2015 Purina Animal Nutrition LLC. All rights reserved.
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PROV EN CAT T L E PRO GR A M
www.BeefUSA.org NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
13 Breed Spotlight
The Beefmaster Breed is the Best of Both Worlds! HeartBrand Beef Features the Akaushi Breed
Beefmaster cattle
optimize traits necessary
to rebuild the nation’s
cow herd because they
excel in fertility, docility
and longevity. Commercial cattlemen
understand the economic advantages
that improvements in these traits offer
a beef operation. These include, but are
not limited to, higher conception rate,
more weaned calf per cow and reduced
replacement heifer development costs. You
will appreciate the high quality females
that Beefmaster bulls produce as they will
excel in the hot, humid environments
of the South to the wet, cool climates up
north and everywhere in between.
HeartBrand runs
~2,500 fullblood
Akaushi cows and
annually sells 300-400 head of bulls
nationally. Akaushi are a Japanese breed
developed for carcass merit, calving
ease and fertility. Producers find
value in Akaushi bulls by maximizing
quality grade premiums, maintaining
growth, and improving calving ease
and marketability. Feedlots and
packers have experienced Akaushi
first hand and are paying premiums.
HeartBrand offers buy backs
on weaned or finished cattle that
are DNA verified. HeartBrand Beef
annually markets product nationwide
Angus Genetics: Confidence Comes Standard
Hereford — It All Adds Up
There’s no
room for error in
this business. Every
breeding decision
has the potential to influence profitability
for years down the road.
That’s why you need a registered
Angus bull backed by the industry’s
most extensive genetic evaluation
system.
With a registered Angus bull you get
the best our industry has to offer:
• The most reliable genomicenhanced EPDs, released every
week.
• Industry-leading programs and
services.
• Unrivaled customer service and
marketing support.
• Access to premiums for
superior-tasting, high-quality
Certified Angus Beef.®
To learn more, visit the
American Angus Association online
at www.ANGUS.org.
There’s no
doubt about
it, a registered
Hereford bull
pays in so many ways — a user-friendly
from ~10,000 head. Finished cattle average
35% Prime, less than 3% Select and 2.8 YG.
Cattle gain from 2.75 to 3.25 lbs. per day
on non-implanted, natural program and
average 1350 lbs. at 18 months old.
package of docility, stronger fertility
and calving ease. Hereford-sired calves
are vigorous, efficient and demand a
premium. There’s also nothing better
than a Hereford-sired momma. The
most economical and most
profitable technology
available to cattle producers
today is maternal heterosis.
Fertility, longevity,
efficiency, herd health and
pounds of calf weaned are
unquestionable advantages,
adding up to more than
$100 per cow exposed.
Learn more about the
Hereford-sired advantage or
find a breeder near you at
Hereford.org/profitabull.
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reproduction and growth performance in your cattle.
Contact your Purina Animal Nutrition dealer or visit purinamills.com/cattle to learn more.
©2015 Purina Animal Nutrition LLC. All rights reserved.
14 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
www.BeefUSA.org NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
15 16 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
Florida Woman Presented the Swan Family Leadership Award Cattlemen Announce
Partnership with National
Sheriffs’ Association
JoAnn Smith of Micanopy, Fla., was
awarded the Swan Family Leadership
Award at the Best of Beef Breakfast in
San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 6, 2015. This
award recognizes worthy individuals who
have made a difference during a lifetime
of dedication and leadership to the beef
industry.
Smith has spent her entire life in
service to the beef industry. Her son
Marty and her grandchildren now work
cattle on the Smith Brothers Operation
in Wacahoota, Fla., primarily a cattle and
timber operation that has been around
since the 1850s. Her grandchildren are the
sixth generation to be on the ranch.
Starting in the 1970s she became active
in industry leadership roles, starting as
a member of the Florida Beef Council.
She became the first female president
of NCBA in 1985 and made countless
appearances before congress on behalf of
the cattle industry. She also had an impact
on opening the Asian markets to U.S. beef
while traveling to Japan and China. One of
the successes that Smith is remembered for
is helping to get the Beef Checkoff Program
off the ground in the mid-1980s. She was
the first chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef
Promotion and Research Board in 1986.
Smith also held numerous positions
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
serving as that agency’s assistant secretary
for Marketing Inspection Services from
1989 to 1993.
The Swan Family Leadership Award is
in honor of Bill Swan, and his son George,
beef industry champions who served in
leadership positions at the local, state and
national levels, including as presidents
of NCBA. The Swan Family Leadership
Award was instituted by NCBA and the
Idaho Cattle Association.
(Left to right) Laurie Lickley, Idaho Cattlemen’s Association vice president, JoAnn Smith, and Carl Lufkin, Idaho
Cattlemen’s Association president as JoAnn accepts the Swan Family Leadership Award.
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During the Cattle Industry
Convention, NCBA’s Past President Bob
McCan and Sheriff T. Michael O’Connor
from the National Sheriffs’ Association
announced a partnership to work
collaboratively on issues that impact
both associations.
Cattle producers and local
sheriffs’ offices interact on a daily basis
addressing issues of criminal trespass
or activity, animal welfare, and the
operation of motor vehicles in the local
communities.
“Alignment between our two groups
will help to further both our interests
on critical issues such as transportation
and border security,” said McCan.
“With these overlapping issues, we can
strengthen our position and our message
by working together. There is a lot to be
gained from collaboration and this is a
proud and historic moment for NCBA.”
The Memorandum of Understanding
between the groups specifically calls for
increased collaboration between local
cattlemen’s associations and sheriffs’
offices, coordination in advocacy on
Capitol Hill, and the development
of joint media pieces on issues of
mutual interest such as border security
and immigration reform, animal
welfare, private property rights, and
transportation policy. “I am very pleased the National
Sheriffs’ Association formalized an
agreement with the cattlemen,” said
O’Connor, a fifth generation rancher
from Victoria, Texas. “This is mile-stone
event. Cattle producers are the economic
driver of many of our rural communities
and there is a lot of overlap between the
two groups.”
Sheriff O’Connor stressed in
addition to political issues, this
partnership is critical for educational
resources and referred to many instances
where law enforcement is called to deal
with livestock.
“This is where NCBA can help us
tremendously,” said O’Connor. “We
need your expertise to help train law
enforcement and expand our capability
for livestock management.”
F uture
M eeting D ates
C attle I ndustry Annual
C onvention & NCBA Trade Show
January 27 - 30, 2016
San Diego, California
February 1 - 4, 2017
Nashville, Tennessee
January 31 - February 3, 2018
Phoenix, Arizona
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C attle I ndustry
S ummer C onference
July 15 - 18, 2015
Denver, Colorado
Hyatt Regency Hotel
L egislative C onference
March 24 - 26, 2015
Washington, D.C.
For more information on
upcoming events, visit
www.BeefUSA.org
or join the conversation at
#beefmeet
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18 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
NCBA Effort Places Renewed
Focus on Young Beef Leaders
A new program from NCBA is placing
renewed focus on this country’s young
beef producers. The NCBA Young Beef
Leader (YBL) program, which involves
state affiliates from across the country,
will give young people 21-35 years old
opportunities for education and increased
involvement in local, regional and
national industry efforts.
The initiative was announced
following an NCBA YBL Roundtable
Feb. 5 during the 2015 Cattle Industry
Convention. Included in the roundtable,
sponsored by Caterpillar and attended by
representatives from 36 state and breed
affiliates, was a state sharing forum and
discussion of what the new program
would include and how it would be
conducted. In addition, representatives
from seven regions were elected to serve
on a Steering Committee for the new
program.
Elected chairman of the new YBL
Steering Committee was Keith Nantz of
Maupin, Oregon. Nantz said the program
has an important function in today’s beef
industry.
“We need to engage the next
generation in a way that keeps them
involved and gives them opportunities,”
said Nantz. “This effort will open the door
to our youth in the areas of production,
policy and leadership.”
Elected to the Steering Committee
were Chris Jeffcoat, Pennsylvania,
American Angus Association (Region
I); Jacob Nyhuis, Georgia Cattlemen’s
Association (Region II); Ben Novak, Iowa
Cattlemen’s Association (Region III);
April Bonds, Texas and Southwestern
Cattle Raisers Association (Region
IV); Matt Hunt, Colorado Livestock
Association (Region V); Amber Miller,
Nevada Cattlemen’s Association (Region
VI); and Jaclyn Wilson, Nebraska
Cattlemen’s Association (Region VII).
The NCBA YBL program will place
particular attention on creating a strong
state/national partnership, with NCBA
state and breed affiliates playing a key
role both in guiding the new program
and in developing the young leaders in
the future. Funding and staff support
from NCBA will make additional state
initiatives possible.
Nantz encourages other young
producers to get involved in this effort.
“It’s a chance to strengthen
relationships and networking, enabling
growth on both the personal and industry
levels,” he said.
For more information on the NCBA
YBL program, contact Sara Arp at sarp@
beef.org.
2015 BQA Winner is Committed to a LowStress Cattle Handling Environment
Brackett Ranches is the 2015 Beef Quality
Assurance (BQA) Cow-Calf Award winner.
The operation runs about 1,500 cows and
2,500 yearlings on private and federal lands
in California and Idaho, along with raising a
variety of crops for feed and grazing.
For Ira and Kim Brackett, Beef Quality
Assurance (BQA) and ranching
is a family affair. They strive to teach their four
children proper BQA techniques and provide
them with every opportunity to expand their
own knowledge. The Bracketts believe that,
as producers, they have an obligation to beef
consumers to properly care for their animals
and demonstrate exactly how that is done
through the BQA program. By involving their
children in the operation, Ira and Kim are
preparing them to be advocates for the beef
industry and to share their stories of how they
care for their animals.
Additionally, Kim and Ira Brackett
encourage and require all of their employees,
just like their family, to become BQA certified.
Dr. Dan Kniffen, Vice Chair of the BQA
Advisory Board praised Brackett Ranches,
saying “The Bracketts have demonstrated the
BQA leadership skills necessary to improve
the cattle they raise and market superior
quality beef.”
The Brackett family is committed to
improving working facilities to create a low
stress, more cattle friendly environment. In an
effort to reduce stress during processing, the
Bracketts invested in facility improvements
that included a sweep tub, a redesigned alley
and a hydraulic chute. Their corrals were
also re-constructed to allow cattle to move
and flow with ease through the facilities.
Their improvements have made traditionally
high-stress processing more efficient and
cattle friendly. “We have incorporated these
improvements because we feel that we have
a moral and ethical responsibility when
working with cattle,” says Kim Brackett.
In her role as Idaho BQA Advisory Board
Chair, Kim organized meetings between
Idaho BQA coordinators and veterinarians.
These meetings have been successful in
building stronger communication and
collaboration between the BQA program and
local veterinarians. The Bracketts implement
these ideas on their own operation by building
a strong working relationship with their
veterinarian. Developing a VeterinarianClient-Patient Relationship (VCPR) is a
key component of BQA guidelines, and the
implementation of this practice has been
essential to the success of Brackett Ranches.
The working relationship the Bracketts
maintain with their veterinarian led to the
development of a preconditioning program
that has resulted in decreased respiratory
treatment in homegrown calves and a
quarantine period for all new stocker calves.
Even with significant achievements
made possible by the improvements of the
Brackett family operation, they remain
dedicated to continuous improvement. It was
this commitment that earned them the 2015
National BQA Cow-Calf Award.
“Our cattle handling skills are
continuously evolving as we look into
different ways of making our facilities more
user friendly for both our cattle and our
cowboys,” according to Ira Brackett.
Their ultimate goal is to have facilities
where cattle flow with as little stress (slipping,
bawling, etc.) as possible, Ira said. Kim and
Ira recognize that BQA doesn’t end with just
the practices at the ranch. It is a part of dayto-day discussions that they have with other
producers to ensure consumers are receiving
high quality, safe beef products.
“A BQA Award winner should serve as a
model and spokesperson for our industry,” says
Tim Koopmann, past president of California
Cattlemen’s Association. “Kim and Ira’s strong
commitment to teach their four children and
their employees the importance of managing
cattle at the highest level of responsibility
speaks great volumes and is just one example of
why they deserve this award.”
CATTLE
TRANSPORTATION
SYMPOSIUM
May 14-15, 2015
Colorado State University
Agricultural Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC)
Fort Collins, CO
Secretaries Urged to Reject Report
Sponsored by
For more information,
go to BQA.org.
and
Colorado State University
Continued from page 1
in low- and non-fat dairy products; lower in
red and processed meat; and low in sugarsweetened foods and beverages and refined
grains.”
Unfortunately, the statement disregards
the positive role of lean meat. Lean beef is one
of the most nutrient rich foods, providing high
levels of essential nutrients such as zinc, iron
and protein, as opposed to empty calories. Dr. Richard Thorpe, Texas medical doctor
and cattle producer, said the key to a healthy
lifestyle is building a balanced diet around the
healthy foods you enjoy eating, coupled with
physical activity.
“It is absurd for the Advisory Committee
to suggest that Americans should eat less red
meat and focus so heavily on plant-based
diets,” said Thorpe. “The American diet is
already 70 percent plant based and to further
emphasize plant-based diets will continue to
have unintended consequences. The Advisory
Committee got it wrong in the ‘80s advising
a diet high in carbs, and look at what that got
us – an obesity problem. My colleagues and I
commonly encourage people to include lean
beef more often for their health, not less.”
Thorpe added, “We are disappointed
the Advisory Committee would go outside
the purview and expertise of nutrition/health
research to bring in topics such as sustainability.
We urge the Secretaries to reject the Advisory
Committee’s recommendations on topics
outside of diet and health.”
Lean meat plays an important role in the
American diet and science shows it needs to be
recognized as part of a healthy dietary pattern
just as it was in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. On behalf of U.S. cattle producers
that work each and every day to provide a
nutritious and healthful beef product for
consumers, we encourage Secretaries Burwell
and Vilsack to reject the Advisory Committee’s
recommendation that healthy American diets
should be lower in red meat. The process was
incomplete with flawed conclusions specific
to health benefits of red meat’s role in the
American diet.
Congratulations to Dr. Dan Thomson, the 2015 Beef Quality
Assurance Educator of the Year. We are honored to partner
with an industry leader like you to educate cattle producers
across the country through the BQA certification program.
Thank you for being instrumental in ensuring better quality
beef for all.
Be sure to take advantage of free BQA certification, compliments of
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., February 4 – April 15, 2015.
Visit www.bivi-bqa.com to learn more.
PREVENTION WORKS.
PROUD PARTNER OF BQA.
©2015 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
20 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
T H E
www.BeefUSA.org
F E D E R A T I O N
O F
STATE BEEF COUNCILS
Building beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective state/national checkoff partnership.
2015 Federation Officers Elected Important Food Professionals Get
Jennifer
Houston,
a livestock
market
operator
from
Sweetwater,
Tenn., was
elected
chair of the
Federation
of State Beef
Councils
during the
Jennifer Houston
2015 Cattle
Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show
in San Antonio, Texas, in early February.
Elected vice chair was Steve Hanson, a cowcalf operator from Elsie, Neb.
Houston previously served as the
Federation’s vice chair. She grew up on a
cattle and hog farm in West Tennessee, and
graduated from the University of Tennessee
with a degree in animal science. She worked
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in
Tennessee prior to joining her husband in a
family livestock market operation. Houston
has been deeply involved in the beef checkoff
at the state and national levels. She was
appointed to the Tennessee Beef Industry
Council when it was established in 1986,
and served as the TBIC representative to
the National Live Stock and Meat Board, a
predecessor organization to NCBA.
As chair of the Federation, Houston will
serve as vice chair of the Beef Promotion
Operating Committee (BPOC). Hanson
will also serve on that committee. Approval
of BPOC-approved projects and budgets is
required by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It’s the fourth term on the BPOC for
Hanson, who operates a family farm and
ranch in Southwest Nebraska with his son,
the fifth generation on the operation. He feeds
out the calves they raise with grain grown on
the farm.
Hanson is also in his fifth year on
the Nebraska Beef Council. His industry
involvement with checkoff committees
includes serving on the Freedom to Operate
Committee, the Global Growth Committee
and the Evaluation Committee. He has
also served as the Federation Region VII
vice president on the NCBA Executive
Committee.
In addition to Houston and Hanson,
other Federation members of the BPOC
for 2015 are Austin Brown III (Texas), Clay
Burtrum (Oklahoma), Dawn Caldwell
(Nebraska), Terri Carstensen (Iowa),
Jerry Effertz (North Dakota), Cevin Jones
(Idaho), Scott McGregor (Iowa) and Kristin
Larson (Montana). Jones is past chair of
the Federation. The CBB also appoints 10
members to the BPOC.
Also at the convention, three new
Federation Division members of the
NCBA Executive committee were elected
by their regions. Selected were Bill Sexton
(Region I, Ohio); Weldon Wynn (Region
IV, Arkansas); and Dan Hinman (Region V,
Idaho). Retiring directors were: Garry Wiley
(Region I, Michigan): Clay Burtrum (Region
IV, Oklahoma); Sid Viebrock (Region V,
Washington) and Dawn Caldwell (Nebraska
Revenue seat).
Continuing their service on the NCBA
Executive Committee on behalf of the
Federation are Donna Jo Curtis (Region
II, Alabama); Tod Fleming (Region III,
Wisconsin); Linda Brake (Region VI,
Arizona); and Dawn Caldwell (Region VII,
Nebraska).
Federation Expresses Support for
Work of Beef Checkoff Working Group
The Federation expressed appreciation
for work done by the Beef Checkoff
Enhancement Working Group at the NCBA
Annual Meeting Feb. 7. Members passed a
resolution stating the Federation “supports
the work of the Beef Checkoff Enhancement
Working Group and that the Federation
continue as a resource in this process.”
Because it is funded with checkoff
dollars through state beef councils and their
collections of the $1-per-head national
beef checkoff, the Federation may not take
an active role in actions of the Working
Group or in efforts to increase beef checkoff
rates. It will not sign the Working Group’s
Memorandum of Understanding, but
instead work in a resource capacity for the
group’s efforts.
Involved in the working group to date
have been Scott George, former Federation
Chair and NCBA President, and Jennifer
Houston, current Federation chair.
Taste of Hawaii Cattle, Beef Production
A group of about 20 food media, culinary
professionals, food systems advocates and
local ranchers participated in the Hawaii
Beef Industry Council’s Pasture to Plate
Tour in November. The project provided the
individuals with an up-close-and-personal
look at beef production on the islands, from
cattle on the ranch through beef processing.
The event was partially funded
through a grant from the Federation
Initiative Fund Program. The Federation
also assisted by creating a new pamphlet
for participants designed by the Federation
design services team.
Included in the tour was a visit to
the Ponoholo Ranch, one of the largest
ranches in Hawaii with 6,000 cattle, as
well as Lowline Cattle Company, which
has approximately 120 head. It also made
a stop at Hawaii Beef Producers, a small
slaughter and processing plant.
“It’s a way to learn so much more about
how beef cattle are raised on our island,”
said Sonia Martinez, a food blogger who
was a tour participant. Catherine Toth,
a writer/blogger who was also a tour
participant was “blown away by the sheer
beauty and serenity of these ranches,”
she wrote on her blog. “The view was
breathtaking, with a herd of cattle in the
distance grazing and the Pacific Ocean
below.”
Toth will be including information
from her tour in an upcoming story for
Alaska Airlines inflight magazine on
food in Hawaii, as well as an upcoming
segment of the PBS food/travel
documentary “Family Ingredients” that
will feature Hawaii ranch culture and beef
production.
“We felt that the tour was very effective
and enjoyable for all that participated, and
the feedback from the participants was
extremely positive,” according to Michelle
Galimba, chair of the HBIC. “This first
tour taught us a lot, and utilizing social
media we look forward to reaching our
target audience even more effectively.”
Funds Awarded to States
Under Initiative Grants Program
The Federation Executive Committee
approved six grants to five state beef
councils worth $33,400 through the
Federation Initiative Fund grants
program. The state beef councils and
respective programs are:
• California Beef Council, Consumerfocused Mobile Application
Development: $14,000;
• Georgia Beef Board, Culinary Student
Farm Tours: $2,100;
• Indiana Beef Council (two grants),
American Culinary Federation Tour,
$2,000, and Indiana Team BEEF,
$2,050;
• Michigan Beef Industry Commission,
Fitness Influencer Education and
Outreach, $9,500; and
• Wisconsin Beef Council, Farm to Fork
Tour, $3,750.
The Federation Initiative Fund has
awarded about $2.3 million to 22 states
conducting more than 190 programs since
it was started in 2006. Additional projects
will be considered at the 2015 Summer
Conference in July.
Shalene McNeil, PhD, RD, executive director
of Human Nutrition Research for NCBA, a
contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program,
explains to hundreds of convention attendees
efforts the industry has made to increase
understanding of beef nutrition as it relates
to government dietary guidelines. The
comments were made at the Understanding
Beef’s Consumer session Feb. 5.
Ann Wittmann, executive director of the Wyoming Beef Council, asks for clarification during the discussion
of the Memorandum of Understanding at the 2015 Federation Forum during the convention.
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22 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
March Will Have Colder Than Normal Temperatures
By Don Day, Jr., Meteorologist
Editor’s Note: NCBA members can read
weekly updates from meteorologist Don
Day Jr. by logging onto www.BeefUSA.org.
February was an incredible month in
regards to the weather across the nation. It was
a month of extremes.
There was historic cold and snow in New
England and the Great Lakes, while on the
opposite side of the ledger many areas in the
western plains to the west coast basked in
above normal temperatures and little snow for
most of the month.
The amount of ice and snow in the
Great Lakes and New England areas may
impact temperatures this spring, much like
the frozenGreat Lakes did in the Spring of
2014. Temperatures were slow to warm in
the Spring of 2014 and we may very well
experience that again.
However, with the historic February
behind us it is now time to look ahead to March.
The graphic to the right highlights our
long range outlook for March in regards
to precipitation. There are a couple of
important trends we see coming in March
that will impact precipitation patterns across
the United States. Long range trends for
March indicate that there will be an increase
in precipitation across drought stricken
California and into portions of the central
and southern Rockies.
March 2015
Precipitation
Above Normal
Near Normal
Below Normal
Much Below Normal
Another area of enhanced precipitation
will likely be found in the southeast United
States extending northeastward into the Mid
Atlantic and into New England.
Pacific water temperatures will remain
favorable for a little bit longer to bring
enhanced precipitation in March (and
hopefully April) into California. How much
rain and how much of an impact the rain will
have on the drought is something we will
be monitoring during the month of March.
Odds are high that California and portions
of the west and southwest will have more
precipitation in March of 2015 as compared to
March of last year.
There may be a few dry areas in March.
Areas of concern will be the Pacific Northwest
(Washington & Oregon), some areas of Florida
and some areas of the upper plains (Dakotas,
Minnesota).
Some of the temperature trends we
experienced in February will also be observed
in March. Temperatures are likely going to
be below normal over most of country from
the Rockies and points east. The colder than
normal temperatures in March will be more
widespread and farther to the west than
observed in February. Beef producers in the
Great Lakes and New England will continue
to suffer colder than normal conditions for at
least another month.
The warmest temperatures will be in the
far west, southwest and the southeast. However,
most of the nation in March will experience
colder than normal temperatures.
March 2015
Temperature
Above Normal
Near Normal
Below Normal
Much Below Normal
PAC
NCBA-PAC: Join the Success
by our state affiliates, we were able to make
contributions in the general election, and in
some cases in the primaries, that made the
difference for some these candidates. These
dollars ensure that people who understand
the cattle industry and small business can be
elected or reelected and sent to Washington.
We have an impressive PAC. It is the
second largest agriculture PAC and with
this kind of success rate, we will continue to
support and get like-minded officials elected.
NCBA has 30,800 members, with 1,700
contributing to the PAC. I appreciate all that
our producers do every day to provide high
quality beef for dinner tables around the world,
but we know that we can’t all pick up and go
to Washington every time there’s a potential
regulation or legislation that may impact our
industry. Instead, what we can do is send the
best representatives from across the country
to Congress. After the 2014 elections, the
NCBA-PAC was instrumental in getting many
new, friendly faces elected to Congress; a great
example is a young lady and rising star in the
Republican Party, Elise Stefanik from New
York. We also helped secure difficult seats up
for re-election such as Jim Costa (D-Cali.)
who has been a champion for us on many
issues such as marketing and trade. There is
Have you ever wished you could have an
impact on the future of the cattle industry?
$1,250,000
$1,250,000
You can by contributing to
NCBA-PAC
We can’t all run for office or travel to
Washington, D.C., to speak with each
representative or senator. We can’t
familiarize ourselves with every issue.
We have our ranches to run.
Help us achieve our goal of $1,250,000
for the 2016 election cycle!
Make a contribution—make an impact! We all have
our own level at which we can offer our support.
But, we can help elect officials
who understand our needs.
We can provide our staff in Washington, $130,000
as of
February 20, 2015 D.C., the access they need to Congress.
$0
We can give them the opportunity to
address the issues for us.
certainly no shortage of issues in D.C. from
tax, transportation, trade, dietary guidelines,
the Endangered Species Act to environmental
issues. Through the NCBA-PAC, you can
support these candidates, not just from your
state or district, but candidates nationwide who
really get what we do day in and day out.
If you are contributor to the PAC, I want
to say thank you for your support. Whether
you donate, bid on items, or participate in the
Brand Wall Program, your money has gone to
worthy cause. If you haven’t contributed yet, I
want to challenge you to join me. Join me and
J.D Alexander, past president of NCBA and
now PAC vice chairman, to grow our PAC.
I also want to add a huge thank you to past
NCBA President and outgoing PAC Chairman,
Steve Foglesong. Steve has played a significant
role in growing the PAC into what it is today.
We can continue from his momentum to fulfill
our goal of doubling our number to 3,400
contributors and surpassing the $1 million
mark. We can become the largest Ag PAC in
Washington D.C. with your support. This next
two-year cycle is going to be a major decision
point and set the course our nation will take.
We need to stay strong to ensure the viability
of our industry for the next generation. We are
strong voice, let’s continue to grow it.
Contributors Club..................................$25-99
Copper Spur Club......................................$100
Bronze Spur Club.......................................$200
Dollar-a-Day Club......................................$365
Sterling Spur Club......................................$500
Golden Spur Club................................... $1,000
Platinum Spur Club................................ $2,500
Diamond Spur Club............................... $5,000
To learn more or donate, visit:
www.beefusa.org/politicalaction.aspx
or call 866-BEEF-USA
NCBA
Jim Strickland, NCBA-PAC chairman
As I take the reins as chairman of the
NCBA-PAC, I look back on my experience
as a cattleman and a businessman. This is a
great time to be in the cattle industry and a
great time for NCBA-PAC. For starters the
Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio
was a huge success. With over 8,300 cattlemen
and women in attendance, we broke a record.
Each and every one I visited with was more
upbeat about our industry than at any other
time that I can remember. The sessions were
remarkable, the trade show was packed, and
producers were enthused to make policy and
talk about the issues. Likewise, we also broke
an attendance record at our PAC reception
with over 650 people and raised $150,000 at
the auction. This was no easy feat and I have
to tip my hat to all of the bidders, donors
and contributors. It is truly a great time to be
involved in the industry.
THE PAC HAS A GREAT STORY TO
SHARE. By pooling our resources we reached
a huge milestone in the last election cycle,
raising nearly $1 million. While that’s a huge
success story to share, the other side of the
story is even more impressive. We rounded
out the November elections with a 93 percent
success rate and a flipped Senate. Directed
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ALWAYS COUNT ON.
You know the value of reliable tools. That’s why you grab Nuflor® (florfenicol) antibiotic
for BRD. In just 30 minutes, Nuflor reaches therapeutic levels to control the three
major bacterial causes of BRD, with a single dose. It’s an excellent choice for both
control and treatment of BRD. For 17 years, Nuflor is the one cattlemen count on.
See your veterinarian to prescribe Nuflor antibiotic.
Scan or visit
www.nuflor.com
for more information.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: RESIDUE WARNINGS: Animals intended for human consumption must not
be slaughtered within 28 days of the last intramuscular treatment. Animals intended for human consumption must
not be slaughtered within 38 days of subcutaneous treatment. Do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age
or older or in dry dairy cows. Use in these cattle may cause drug residues in milk, and/or in calves born to these
cows. A withdrawal period has not been established in preruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed
for veal. Not for use in animals intended for breeding purposes. The effects of florfenicol on bovine reproductive
performance, pregnancy, and lactation have not been determined. Intramuscular injection may result in local
tissue reaction which persists beyond 28 days. This may result in trim loss of edible tissue at slaughter. Full product
information available on adjacent page.
2 Giralda Farms • Madison, NJ 07940 • merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767 Copyright © 2015 Intervet Inc., doing business as Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.
All rights reserved. 1/15 NUF-STKR-52198
NatlCtlmn_Nuflor_Stlkr_FP_MAR15.indd 1
2/17/15 4:24 PM
24 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
Market Matters
The Expansion of the Cow Herd is in Full Swing
By Tod Kalous, CattleFax
Analyst
The recently released
annual cattle inventory
report confirmed what cow slaughter
and heifer retention data indicated
during 2014: The expansion of the cow
herd is in full swing. Just looking at
the change in the beef cow herd from
January 2014 to January 2015 shows that
nearly all of the increase in the beef cow
herd occurred between four states—
Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas.
In fact, of the 33 states whose beef cow
inventory increased from 2014 to 2015,
65 percent of the growth occurred
in those 4 states (+499,000 cows).
Excluding those four states leaves 29
states with a flat to growing inventory
with a total increase of 267,000 beef
cows. The remaining 17 states saw a
decline in their beef cow inventory
totaling 158,000 cows.
Of the top four expanding states,
Texas was by far the largest, up 270,000
beef cows, which makes sense given
the amount of liquidation Texas has
experienced over the past several years
due to drought. This leads to the next
question: Where will expansion most
likely continue to occur, assuming
Mother Nature cooperates? The easy
answer is Texas and the surrounding
states in the Southern Plains region,
which has the largest potential for herd
growth given the drought induced
liquidation. Even looking back at the
last major inventory cycle peak in 1996,
Texas has lost by far the most beef
cows, down 1.7 million head. Missouri
is a distant second in terms of drop in
beef cow inventory from its peak in
2006 when looking over the past 20
years, having lost 325,000 beef cows.
Looking across the country the
region that appears to have the second
largest potential for beef cow herd
growth, just based on how many cows
have been liquidated over the last 20
years, is the Southeast region. For the
most part, the states in the Southeast
saw their peak inventories in 1996
and are down 1.9 million beef cows
compared to the South Plains, which
is down 2.1 million beef cows over
that timeframe. Specifically looking at
the individual states in the Southeast
shows all are down from the peak with
several, including Kentucky, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and
Florida, all down by 200,000 cows
or more. Past the South Plains and
Southeast regions, the next regions with
the most potential for growth would
be the Midwest and North Plains. The
Midwest is down 650,000 beef cows
from its peak in 1996 and the North
Plains is down 610,000 beef cows from
its peak in 2001. Keep in mind this
does not take into account how the size
of the average beef cow has changed
and how much pasture and rangeland is
actually available today for more
beef cows.
Pasture acres have declined in
nearly all regions of the country with
the biggest percentage drop occurring
in the Midwest, down 30 percent (8.4
million acres) from 1997 to 2012. The
Southeast has experienced a 17 percent
drop in pasture acres since 1997 (7
million acres). The South Plains has
lost just 4 percent or 8.5 million acres
since 1997. The North Plains and
Western regions of the United States
R egional C hange
have also experienced 10 percent or
fewer declines in pasture acres since
1997.
Bottom Line: The South Plains
region saw the biggest increase in beef
cows this past year and looking forward
will have potential for more expansion
assuming Mother Nature allows. Other
regions of the United States also have
potential for expansion, but pasture and
range acres may be a limiting factor.
in
U.S. B eef C ows
2015 vs 2014
10%
8%
+473K
6%
6%
+136K
3%
4%
2%
0%
+9K
1%
-2%
+4K
1%
-2%
-33K
-4%
-6%
+34K
0%
0%
-13K
NW
SW
NP
SP
MW
SE
NE
Source: USDA
Export Market Plays Key Role in Cattle Industry
By Jessica Sampson, Agricultural
Economist, and James Robb, Director,
Livestock Marketing Information
Center
The four biggest world exporters of
beef are Australia, India, Brazil, and the
United States. In 2014 Australia exported
70 percent of domestic beef production;
Brazil exported 20 percent and India
45 percent. India actually produces
buffalo, not beef, and exports mainly
to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Australia’s export level was elevated in
2014 due to drought, with their past 10
year average export level sitting at 65
percent of domestic production
In 2014, the United States exported
over 2.5 billion pounds (carcass weight
equivalent) of beef and veal. This was
11 percent of total commercial U.S. beef
production. Of course the United States
also exports byproducts such as liver.
These byproducts are not included in the
11 percent as they are not part of beef
(meat) production that is calculated on a
carcass weight equivalent unit. Total
2014 beef exports were one percent less
than the total volume exported in 2013,
and eight percent less than the record
volume set in 2011. The value of 2014
exports set a new record with an increase
of more than $1 billion, to top the year
out at $7.13 billion, 16 percent above
2013s.
USDA-Economic Research Service
released December data of U.S. meat
trade on February 6. During 2014, tight
U.S. cattle and hog supplies pushed prices
up to record levels for both domestic and
international consumers. The first half of
2014 recorded above year ago levels for
both beef and pork exports, then both
dropped below year ago volumes during
the second half of the year.
On an annual basis, January through
June of 2014 showed a five percent
increase in volume of beef exports
compared to that same time frame in
2013, but during July through December
2014 beef export tonnage was below a
year ago every month except September.
The second half of the year saw exports
five percent below 2013. Total beef
exports in 2014 were one percent below a
year earlier. The same trend was true on
the pork side. Pork exports in 2014 were
three percent below total exports in 2013.
Looking at the year closer, however, the
first half of 2014 experienced a seven
percent increase in exports compared to
year ago but a 13 percent decrease during
the second half of the year.
In the cattle sector, feeder and
slaughter cattle prices hit their peak in
2014 during the second half of the year.
Hog prices experienced their peak during
the first half of the year but Russian bans
on first European Union pork, then U.S.
product, made the export marketplace
more competitive. Both of these reasons,
combined with a strengthening dollar
and ongoing Western Port issues during
late 2014, worked against further
increases in U.S. export levels.
All of this helps build the story of the
international environment and export
demand, and points to expecting more
product, especially pork, consumed in
the domestic market this year. January
of 2015 saw dramatically increased
pork production year-over-year, but
weekly export data does not yet show an
uptick in exports, leaving more product
in the domestic market and creating a
headwind for hog and pork prices. As
the Western Port issue continues, market
share is lost overseas and when the issue
is resolved it will take a couple of months
to clear backlogged inventory of both
pork and beef.
This is a clear example of the
importance of the export market to the
U.S. protein industry. The United States
exported 22 percent of commercial pork
production (carcass weight equivalent)
in 2014. The U.S. cattle and beef
industry is somewhat less dependent on
export markets, in 2014 exports made
up 11 percent of U.S. commercial beef
production. Currently, the pork complex
is experiencing more significant effects
from the decreased export levels, but the
pork and beef markets are intertwined.
As less pork is exported, more is
available on the domestic market and
to the consumer in the grocery store.
Additional product puts downward
pressure on domestic pork prices,
making the retail price spread between
pork and beef greater. Even with less
direct dependency on the export markets
in the beef sector compared to pork, the
export market plays a key role in the
cattle industry.
US BEEF AND VEAL EXPORTS
Mil. Pounds
Carcass Weight, Monthly
270
250
230
210
190
170
150
JAN
FEB MAR APR
MAY JUN
Avg. 2008-12
Data Source: USDA-ERS & USDA-FAS
Livestock Marketing Information Center
JUL AUG SEP
2013
2014
OCT NOV
DEC
www.BeefUSA.org NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
25 NCBA Convention: Connections, Reconnections and Research
Don Close, Vice President, Food and Agribusiness Research &
Advisory (FAR), Animal Protein, Rabo
AgriFinance
I’m writing this having just
returned from the 2015 National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Convention, and reflecting on
my 20th? (25th? – it’s hard to say)
show. Each year the week of convention
brings connection and reconnections
with colleagues and friends, learning,
introductions to new colleagues and
friends and, the last couple years,
new research. As part of the animal
protein team in the Rabobank Food
& Agribusiness Research (FAR) and
Advisory group, we introduce research
several times a year and have found
research related to the cattle and beef
community is well-timed to release
during this time of year.
This year, the research is a look at
confinement and semi-confinement in
cow production. The new report, “Outside
In: Confined Cow-Calf Production as a
Viable Model for Rebuilding U.S. Cow
Herd Numbers,” explores how various
forms of confined production can
make expansion a bit more feasible in a
world where high capital requirements,
declining grazable acres and ageing
producers are constraining expansion.
If the U.S. cattle industry is
going to thrive, it must rebuild. We
know that. However, the historic
price levels much of our industry
is currently experiencing are
making it hard, in many cases,
to act on that expansion. I
repeatedly hear from colleagues
who are close to retirement that these
prices are making that option look really
good. Coupled with high land prices
and the enormous investment required
to bring younger generations into the
operation, this expansion—profitable as it
may be—is more complicated.
This piece clearly resonated. Multiple
conversations while in San Antonio
and a standing-room only audience at a
Rabolounge
Ad_10.375x16_Feedlot_NCBA
Cattlemans.pdf
learning
presentation
during 1the12/4/14
convention tell me exploring this topic at
this time was the right thing to do.
Location and access to low cost feed
sources determine how confinement and
semi-confinement can be applied in a
given situation. In some cases, it makes
tremendous sense to convert existing
excess feed yard pen space. In other
areas, especially on row crop operations,
stand-alone confinement buildings
offer a revenue stream that increases
production on the operation and may
make bringing the next generation into
the operation a bit more feasible.
Clearly, the market has entered into
an expansion phase and producers are
looking all production model alternatives
to expand cow numbers.
Looking into the next year, Rabo
12:34 PM
AgriFinance
looks forward to how we
can once again be involved in the NCBA
convention, connecting with the cattle
and beef communities and providing
relevant, timely research for this
exciting time in our businesses.
The Rabobank global research team
regularly releases global beef outlooks,
as well as reports that focus on various
elements of the cattle industry,
providing Rabobank and Rabo
AgriFinance clients with access to
exclusive, world class research from our
Food & Agriculture Research (FAR) and
Advisory group. This research provides
insight into how the global marketplace
affects their daily business decisions. If
you’re interested in learning more about
how our group’s local team and global
research can lend insight into your
operation, visit www.RaboAg.com.
NCBA Applauds
House Efforts
The U.S. House of Representatives
passed H.R. 636 America’s Small
Business Tax Relief Act of 2015 on Feb.
13. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Pat
Tiberi (R-Ohio) will make permanent
the $500,000 expensing levels for small
businesses under Section 179 of the tax
code.
NCBA President Philip Ellis
said permanency to the tax code is
critical for cattlemen in order to make
necessary purchasing decisions and
informed business decisions. The
passage of this bill allows farmers
and ranchers to write off capital
expenditures in the year that purchases
are made rather than depreciate them
over time. The passage of this bill
follows a letter NCBA, along with 33
other groups, signed to Speaker of the
House, Rep. John Boehner, urging the
permanency of Section 179 of the
tax code.
“Section 179 small business
expensing provides agricultural
producers with a way to maximize
business purchases in years when they
have positive cash flow,” the letter reads.
“Under the expired law the maximum
amount that a small business can
immediately expense when purchasing
business assets instead of depreciating
them over time is $25,000 adjusted for
inflation.”
Agriculture requires large
investments in machinery, equipment
and other depreciable assets. The
ability to immediately expense capital
purchases provides an incentive for
farmers and ranchers to invest in their
businesses and offers the benefit of
reducing the record-keeping burden
associated with the depreciation.
“We appreciate Rep. Tiberi’s
leadership on behalf of small businesses
like so many in the cattle industry,” said
Ellis, a Wyoming rancher. “We urge the
Senate to take up similar legislation
and continue working toward a
comprehensive tax reform that provides
a stable business environment.”
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Ambition Creates
Success.
After all, it’s what helped my father and his father build this business from
nothing but a dream of what could be – and now is.
Ambition doesn’t clock out at 5 PM. Or 5 AM for that matter.
But ambition can’t do it alone.
It needs determination, hard work and some help along the way.
Which is what’s going to keep me here, whatever the challenges may be.
Ambition doesn’t roll over and give up. It knows how to get the job done
when others say it can’t be done.
MY AMBITION IS TO BUILD THE BEST POSSIBLE
FUTURE FOR MY FAMILY AND ME.
855-722-7766 RaboAg.com
@RaboAg
fb.com/RaboAg
@RaboAg
Rabo AgriFinance
26 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
www.BeefUSA.org
Low-Stress Cattle Handling Pays Off
More and
more cattle
producers
are taking a quiet approach to working
with their herd for many reasons. Studies
show that low-stress handling practices
and a calm environment have a positive
impact on the bottom line and the
well-being of cattle — as well as their
handlers.
Employing low-stress handling
techniques can help reduce injury to
handlers as well as to livestock, increase
overall efficiency within the herd,
reduce the labor needed to move cattle
and improve the overall health of the
animal.
Handle with care
It’s no surprise that patience is a
virtue when handling cattle. The faster
you go, the slower they move. It’s best to
remember that animals don’t think the
way we do. One way to create a low-stress
culture is to let the cattle get acclimated
to their surroundings and movements of
the people working around them. Cattle
are extremely sensitive to loud noises,
shadows or too much pressure, and this
kicks in their ‘fight or flight’ reaction.
When producers allow the animals to
get used to their environment, it can
help create a low-stress culture, and will
help improve handling, whether cattle
are being gathered from the pasture or
processed.
Effective horn fly control; less
disruption for cattle
Building upon the safety and lowstress aspect, AgriLabs has an innovative
approach to control horn flies and lice on
cattle called the VetGun™, which requires
no confining or handling.
The VetGun is a precision-engineered
remote delivery device powered with
CO2 to project a precise dosage of an
insecticide-filled gel capsule known as
AiM-L™ VetCaps™. Upon impact, the
VetCap bursts on the animal, releasing
its contents to treat the animal.
The entire process is completed
quickly and with far less disruption or
stress than any conventional process that
requires cattle to be gathered, yarded
or run through a chute. Essentially, it
improves overall welfare by making
the process safer for both cattle and
ranchers.
For more information about VetGun,
please contact your local dealer or visit
agrilabs.com.
Outstanding Students Awarded
CME Beef Industry Scholarship
Laura Gorecki of Farewell, Neb, with Tim Andriesen of CME, was the overall essay winner.
Ten outstanding college students
were awarded $1,500 CME Beef Industry
Scholarships at the 2015 Cattle Industry
Convention & NCBA Trade Show in San
Antonio, Texas, Feb. 6. The scholarship
is sponsored by the CME Group and
administered by the National Cattlemen’s
Foundation. The overall essay winner,
NO
NO
NO
CONFINING
Baxter Black with
his cows using
his VetGunTM
VetGun delivers effective horn fly control in your herd with no handling,
no confinement and no stress to you or your cattle. A precise dose of
AiM-L topical insecticide can be applied from a safe distance minimizing
handling time and labor. Call us today to request a demo or watch our
video online at www.AgriLabs.com/VetGun.
HANDLING
STRESS
developed by
Check with your animal health supplier for availability. AgriLabs and AiM-L are trademarks of Agri Laboratories Ltd.
VetGun is a trademark of SmartVet. © 2014 All rights reserved. AIML033130P262FVA
www.smartvet.com
distributed by
www.agrilabs.com
Laura Gorecki of Farewell, Neb., was also
awarded a trip to the convention in San
Antonio.
The CME Beef Industry Scholarship
was introduced in 1989 to celebrate the
25th anniversary of the Live Cattle futures
contract on the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange. It recognizes and encourages
talented students who will one day be
industry leaders.
“The CME Beef Industry Scholarship
enables us to invest in the next generation
of our nation’s food producers, while
helping them understand the importance
of risk management to the beef industry,”
said Tim Andriesen, CME Group
Managing Director of Agricultural
Commodities. “For more than 25 years,
NCBA has been a key partner in advancing
risk management education to future beef
industry leaders through this important
scholarship program.”
Essay winner Gorecki is a junior at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring
in Animal Science and Business with
minors in Agricultural Leadership and
Communication as well as Leadership and
Entrepreneurship. She grew up on a cowcalf operation and was involved with 4-H
and FFA. Her essay was on using our voices
to reach consumers through technologies
such as Facebook and Twitter. In the
future, Gorecki hopes to pursue a graduate
degree in Animal Behavior and Welfare.
Other 2015 CME Scholarship winners
were:
• Jessica Beer
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
• Sierra Jepson The Ohio State University Amanda, OH
• Kacey Koester
North Dakota State University Steele, ND
• Jenna Lansing
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
• Kierra Leddy
South Dakota State University
Stockholm, SD
• Maci Lienemann
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Princeton, NE
• Patrick Linnell
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO
• Katie Miller
Blackhawk College
Cambridge, IL
• Kate Schaffer
Redlands Community College
Carthage, MO
Both National Cattlemen’s Foundation
and the CME Group have missions that
stress commitment to the future of the cattle
industry and continued recognition and
support of outstanding youth in the beef
community.
www.BeefUSA.org NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
27 Easy Fresh Cooking
By Dave Zino,
Executive Chef
Struggling
with the same old
dinner dilemma
of what to prepare
and how to
prepare it? Look
no further! Easy
Fresh Cooking
recipes affixed
to beef packages
you buy at the grocery store address
your need for quick meal solutions and
cooking tips. These delicious recipes
include preparation and cooking tips
so you don’t have to wonder, “what’s for
dinner tonight?”
Easy Fresh Cooking is a program
funded in part by the checkoff,
in partnership with Yerecic Label
Company. The program began in 1999
with modest beginnings but is now in
grocery stores throughout the country.
The checkoff covers the cost of
groceries and photography for
development of recipes for the Easy
Fresh Cooking program, while Yerecic
covers all other costs, including
printing and shipping of the labels to
retailers.
What exactly is Easy Fresh Cooking?
It is a recipe label secured to the outside
of a package of beef. The top of the
label features a color photo of a cooked
beef entrée. The consumer peels back
the label to find a triple-tested recipe,
developed by the checkoff-funded
Culinary Innovations Team.
The essence of the program is to
provide the consumer with a quick,
easy and delicious beef recipe they
can prepare in 30 minutes or less. The
parameters of the recipes require six
ingredients or less, all of which must be
pantry-friendly or readily available at
the supermarket, and the method steps
must be short and easy to understand.
A roast will obviously take longer
than 30 minutes to prepare, but research
shows that if the consumer does not
have to do a lot of prep, they are fine
with roasts since they need no attention
while cooking.
Since 1999, the Culinary Innovations
Team has developed hundreds of recipes
for the Easy Fresh Cooking program.
These recipes follow the same stringent
guidelines that all recipes that moving
through the center follow. The challenge
for the team is to find full flavor with
such a short ingredient list. As a rule of
thumb, it is easier to create a delicious
recipe with more ingredients than
less. With this in mind, many of these
recipes use prepared products like salad
dressings and sauces, easily found in the
grocery aisles.
Once the labels reach the retailer,
all the retailer has to do is apply the
label on the appropriate cut of beef.
The program is so detailed that recipes
were created not only for ground beef,
but developed for the various grinds
of ground beef. For example we have
recipes for 80/20 percent ground beef
up to 93 percent lean or leaner ground
beef.
Most cooking methods are featured,
from stir-frying to pan broiling to
roasting and grilling. The recipes rotate
by season, so if you are in a grocery
store in the summertime expect to see
more grilling recipes. The recipes not
only live on the label but are featured
on www.beefretail.org and www.
beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
For the most part, the labels are
generic to fit into any retail meat case
program. There are, however, some
retailers that create custom programs
by adding their logo and changing the
shape and size of the label. No matter
what program is chosen, the checkoff is
always acknowledged.
So the next time you are at your
local grocery store, look for the Easy
Fresh Cooking label and peel back
your opportunity for a delicious beef
entrée.
Cucumber Ranch Steaks
Total Recipe Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
4 beef ranch steaks, cut 3/4 inch
thick (about 5 ounces each)
½ cup finely chopped seeded
cucumber
¼ cup prepared ranch dressing
1 tablespoon garlic-pepper seasoning
1 small tomato, seeded, diced
(optional)
Cook’s Tip: To easily seed a
cucumber, cut it lengthwise in half
and use the tip of a teaspoon to
scrape out the seeds. European
or English greenhouse-grown
cucumbers, now available in many
supermarkets, are virtually seedless.
1. Combine cucumber and dressing
in small bowl. Set aside.
2.Press garlic-pepper seasoning
evenly onto beef steaks. Place
steaks on grid over medium,
ash-covered coals. Grill, covered,
8 to 11 minutes (over medium on
preheated gas grill, times remain
the same) for medium rare (145°F)
to medium (160°f) doneness, turing
occasionally.
3.Serve steaks with cucumber sauce.
Garnish with tomato, if desired.
Nutritional information per serving:
263 calories; 15 g fat (3 g saturated
fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat); 75 mg
cholesterol; 539 mg sodium; 2 g
carbohydrate; 0.4 g fiber; 29 g protein;
3.9 mg niacin; 0.3 mg vitamin B6; 3.3
mcg vitamin B12; 3.5 mg iron; 31.9
mcg selenium; 6.9 mg zinc.
This recipe is an excellent source of
protein, niacin, vitamin B12, iron and
zinc; and a good source of vitamin B6.
www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com
A television show by cattlemen ... for cattlemen
Watch NEW episodes
of NCBA’s Cattlemen
to Cattlemen every
Tuesday night!
Join host Kevin Ochsner each week
as he brings you the latest industry
news, market trends and producer
profiles from across the country.
Tue. – 8:30 p.m.
Wed. – 12:30 a.m.
Sat. – 9:00 a.m.
(All times are Eastern on RFD-TV.)
You can also watch all episodes at
www.cattlementocattlemen.org
Whether mowing, baling, loading or pulling, Case IH has the equipment you need to keep your
operation running. You’ll find everything from do-it-all Puma,® reliably flexible Farmall® and simply
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If there’s a job to be done on your operation, there’s only one equipment brand you need to turn to.
Learn more at your local Case IH dealer or online at caseih.com/livestock.
BE READY.
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and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. www.caseih.com